TreeScaping: Great tips for landscaping with trees in the Western Cape

By early October 2018, dam levels had reached a storage capacity of 79%. Water tariffs have been lowered and water use limits have been raised.

The rains and rising water tables have been a blessing for landscaping this summer.

“Early spring cold fronts that have been rolling through the Western Cape have also provided a perfect cool climate for planting trees”, says South African Landscapers’ Institute (SALI) National Chairperson, Norah de Wet.

Trees play an important role in both our environment and society. For people, trees are a source of oxygen, food, building material and medicine.

In our landscapes, trees create shade and privacy, provide habitats for wildlife, can be used to block out an unwanted view, filter noise, stabilise the soil, reduce erosion or act as windbreaks.

Landscapers in the Western Cape always check a site before deciding on the appropriate trees for a landscape.

Ida-Marie Strydom of of Life Landscapes (Western Cape) advises that before choosing a new tree, you should consider these questions:

What shape of tree do you want? Do you want a tree for shade, wind protection or to screen off the neighbour’s house?

How much space is available?

Do you want an evergreen or deciduous tree?

What are the growing conditions? Does your garden have sandy soil, brak water or is it subjected to strong sea breezes and salty spray?

“If you need a shade tree, choose a variety which develops a tall trunk and a wide, spreading canopy”, says Ida-Marie. This type will give the most cover over an outdoor living area, with plenty of space and head room for chairs and tables.

“If the tree is going to be fairly close to the house, consider a deciduous tree, which will allow in more winter light”, says Ida-Marie.

“If, on the other hand, you need more protection from the wind, than shade, choose an evergreen tree with dense wind-resistant foliage”, she adds. “As wind, especially the south-easter, is strongest in sandy areas, the tree must also be able to thrive in poor soils and withstand dry, summer conditions”, says Ida-Marie.

Choose established trees

Planting large and established trees is a fast track way to gain shade for summer.

“We’ve spent the past three decades developing our intimate understanding of large trees in South Africa”, says Dag Willems of Trees-SA.

“We’ve recorded how they grow, we’ve analysed what makes them resilient and unique and we’ve developed proprietary systems and processes to ensure they flourish wherever they are relocated to”, he adds.

Every single one of our trees is hand-selected for vigour, structure and form, typical to the particular species.

As our trees often spend extended periods of time in our nurseries, we designed our storage space to accommodate growth; by allowing ample space for balanced tree crown development and keeping stem diameter growth in proportion to tree height.

“You can be assured that our trees are sturdy, top-quality and hardened-off”, says Dag.

What trees should you be growing this summer in the Western Cape? Consider this list of trees for your landscape.